Kidney for Dogs
Kidney counts among the offal items hardly anyone talks about, even though it's a firm part of a prey-orientated diet. While heart and liver come up in conversation more often, kidney tends to lead something of a niche existence, yet it has quite a lot to offer. We explain what kidney is, why it can be interesting for your dog, and how NANDOO uses it.
What is kidney?
Kidney, usually from beef or lamb, counts among the smaller but nutrient-rich organs. In nature, wild dogs and other predators eat the organs of their prey completely, kidney included. It's therefore not a by-product, but an original, natural part of dogs' diet that our domestic dogs' ancestors would naturally have eaten along with everything else too.
In feeding, kidney comes in different forms: dried as a small chew, raw or frozen as part of a BARF-orientated diet, or finely processed as an ingredient within a larger recipe. In all forms, it remains a comparatively understated but valuable raw material that rarely takes centre stage.
Why kidney for dogs?
Kidney delivers a good portion of B vitamins as well as minerals such as selenium and zinc. In terms of nutrient profile, it supplements other offal such as heart or liver without reaching their high vitamin A content, and can therefore be worked well into a balanced diet. Kidney is also easily digestible and readily eaten by most dogs. Its mild yet distinctive flavour makes it a pleasant change in the menu, without your dog needing to adjust to anything new.
For us, kidney is a good example of just how varied offal can be: every organ has its own nutrient profile and its own function, rather than simply being "offal". Anyone feeding only a single type of offal is therefore missing out on part of the natural variety that makes up a balanced, prey-orientated diet.
Kidney at NANDOO
At NANDOO, kidney is openly declared, just like every other ingredient. You'll find it in selected products among our natural chews, clearly named and not hidden behind collective terms.
That way, as a dog owner you'll always know which organ, in what quantity, is in your dog's diet, and you can deliberately alternate kidney with other offal such as heart or liver.
You can learn more about offal and its role in canine nutrition in our raw materials lexicon.
Häufige Fragen zu Kidney for Dogs
Ist Niere eine gute Innerei für Hunde?
Niere liefert viele B-Vitamine, Eisen und Selen und ergänzt Muskelfleisch sinnvoll im Napf. Wie andere Innereien sollte sie aber nur in kleinen Mengen gefüttert werden.
Wie viel Niere verträgt mein Hund?
Innereien wie Niere sollten insgesamt nur einen kleinen Anteil der Gesamtration ausmachen, oft wird ein Richtwert von etwa 5 bis 10 Prozent genannt. Kombiniert mit Leber und magerem Muskelfleisch entsteht eine ausgewogene Mahlzeit.
Roh oder gekocht, wie füttere ich Niere?
Rohe Niere ist für gesunde Hunde meist gut verträglich, sollte aber wie alle Innereien aus einwandfreier Frischfleischqualität stammen. Bei empfindlichem Magen kann kurzes Anbrühen helfen.
Warum sollte Niere nicht die Hauptfleischquelle sein?
Niere ist sehr nährstoffdicht, aber unausgewogen, wenn sie allein gefüttert wird, deshalb gehört sie eher als Ergänzung zu Muskelfleisch wie Lamm oder Rind in den Napf. Der Rohstoff-Ratgeber erklärt die richtige Balance genauer.
Ist Niere für alle Hunde geeignet?
Für gesunde erwachsene Hunde ist Niere in kleinen Mengen unbedenklich, bei Nierenerkrankungen sollte die Fütterung von Innereien aber mit dem Tierarzt abgestimmt werden.
